Ruins and Beaches

July 26

Waking up this morning was tougher than others. Maybe it was the wine with dinner, the humidity or the travel weariness. No time for sleepiness as today its off to Perge, waterfalls and the calm looking Mediterranean.

Perge was a Phrygian city in 3rd and 2nd century BC and saw another hay day under the Romans in 2nd and 3rd century AD. This site was incredible. Although it's in ruins the immensity of it gives a solid impression of how impressive it must have been. Travertine columns line the streets and marble can be found everywhere. I didn't have time to see the bath but I took the long walk to the fountain and really got to take in the scope of it all. It was again incredible to walk in a place that others have for thousands of years. Roman and Greek writing could still be seen on the bases of some columns really bringing to life the reality that people lived there. Under Roman control it was a major city in their Asian Empire and was undoubtedly an impressive site. It was also the only Roman city to ever have a woman mayor.

The Road to Antalya

July 25

We've been fed so well that we skipped breakfast and just sipped our coffee and tea by the pool enjoying a marvelous Turkish morning. At 7:30 we set about for an 8 hour to the Mediterranean city of Antalya.

Aksaray Sultanani Karavansaray was our first stop. A 12th century caravan stop along the ancient spice road constructed by a sultan for the safety of caravans during the night. Many of these karavansaray exist a days journey from one another. There are others but the ones constructed by the sultan were free of charge, walled, gated and protected by soldiers. The structure was impressive with a massive courtyard, a room big enough for 200 camels, a restaurant, sitting room, sleeping rooms, horse stable and a few misc rooms. There was also a cool tower in the center of the courtyard that could be climbed. Holly spent some time sketching the inside of the camel room and I explored. We're both definitely experiencing Turkey the way we want.

Down to Konya to the tomb of Mevlana Celaddin Rumi, the founder of the Dervish order 1247. This is the same famous poet Rumi that we learn about. He is considered by Muslims to be a great spiritual leader and for Muslims it is considered a place for pilgrimage.

The ornate decorative wall paintings and reliefs in the Mevlana's tomb were amazing. The tomb was a large open room, divided into sections and converted into a museum and it housed him, many of his early followers, his family and artifacts belonging to him. As in Topkapi Palace there was chest said to contain the beard of the Prophet Mohammed. Photos weren't allowed and out of respect women were asked to wear head scarves. I took a nice photo of Holly at the entrance. There were also rooms for men who became mevlana and although it is not used as a place for Dervishes any longer, lots of information about Dervishes lived and carried out their day . The garden was one of the most beautiful I have seen so far and I could see how a person could find incredible peace in this space.

I remember learning about the Taurus Mountains in 6th grade and about how the Romans crossed them to expand their empire and now I can say that I too have crossed the Taurus Mountains. The foothills were notably similar to the foothills of the Sierra back home, dry grassy hills, oak trees and farmland. As we climbed up to our apex of 6000ft it looked so much like the Western Sierra that unless I saw a minaret poking above a small village, I couldn't say for certain that I was in Turkey. I love the scenery at I home and I was just as captivated here. Tall jagged peaks, pine forests, small mountain towns and panoramic vistas as far as the eye can see. My daydreams of Romans, early Christians, Hittites and Ottomans all doing what I did kept me busy for the entire crossing.

The mountains leveled out to a humid coastal plane dappled with farmland and tourist hotels and gift shops galore. The Antalya region is one of the most heavily visited tourist places in the world for sun bathers and beach side resort goers. But even as the larger towns become tourist boom towns, there is still plenty of farmland remaining but not much of any traditional Turkish life unless you count old ladies dressed as peasants smiling and trying to sell you plastic/glass beaded jewelry.

It's not all modern hotels and condos, though. We turned off the main road and were introduced to Aspendos, the world's best preserved 2nd Century Roman amphitheater. Unless you're as Romantic about history as I am I don't know if you'll get what I felt and imagined. Forget the fact that plays and gladiator fights took place within these walls. I was mesmerized by the idea that I was sitting on the same stone bench some average nobody did 1900 years ago. I walked through the hallway that undoubtedly housed food/water vendors and people selling souvenir junk that the average nobody didn't need but bought anyway. My feet walked the steps that a father and son walked to catch a show and spend some quality time together. That's what my brain does with history and I was sad to leave. More ruins to come in the following week.

Hot Air and Cool Caves

July 24

Waking up at 4am is worth it if by 5:30 you're in a balloon sailing over fairy chimneys and farmland. I can't capture the experience in any other word than breathtaking. I took great joy in looking straight down imagining what it would be like to fly over the countryside. Fear of falling? Maybe a little but I'm a firm believer in grasping the moment, so lean over the side I did... safely of course. *wink*

If being 1100m in the air wasn't enough, within 3 hours we were 50m underground exploring a small section of a sprawling 3 mile UNDERGROUND city. Holly knew immediately that I was going to want to wander off, and she was right, so I agreed to stay with the group. Within reason, anyway. The 30 minutes we had needed to be 2 hours but I won't deny that our time there was very cool, literally and figuratively. Animal stables, churches, kitchens, grain storage, cisterns and more all carved out of the bedrock going down 12 stories. It was created a long time ago and saw its prime in the 13th century by Christians escaping persecution. I found my way into some side passages away from the group and Holly got some fun shots of my returns. I loved it. It reminded me of crawling about the sewer pipes in Poway with Rob when we were young. When I return to Turkey I will hire a guide to take me down to the burial chambers and river.

Off to a rug making coop where we were wined and dined while introduced to the fascinating world of Turkish rugs. The craftsmanship is a real art. He explained that the only real difference between Turkish rugs and Persian or Indian rugs is the patterning and the shapes. Holly fell in love and we purchased a beautiful one for our living room.

The driver did us a favor by stopping at a rock formation known as the Three Graces. You know I took advantage of some climbing.

Rounded out the day with a great hike through a local valley. Isa took about 10 of us on a very scenic and awe inspiring back country trail. Caves, beautiful plants and an amazing sunset. I began and ended the day with the sun beautiful Turkish son. Very nice, indeed.

The road to Kapadokia (Cappadocia)

July 23

We were up before the 5:30am call to prayer and got to see the sunrise over Ankara. I loved it. We got out on the road at about 7:30 to beat the morning rush hour and meet our destiny with Tuz Golu (salt lake).

This landscape looks so amazingly like the road to Bakersfield that at times I forget where I am. Then I start daydreaming about Alexander the Great marching through here back in the 3rd Century BC and I'm quickly reminded of my location. The miles and miles of farmland out here sustain the entire nation with wheat, nuts and dry climate fruits like peaches and apricots.

A walk out on the Tuz Golu is pretty incredible. I've seen salt flats from the back highways out to Vegas but never stopped at one. It looks like a plain of snow but the crunch and grain that gets in between the toes is nothing like snow. The salt radiated dryness and heat but it was bearable. Most of our fellow travelers are from the East Coast and I couldn't help but notice they quickly retired to the gift shop for relief. I thought the weather was nice. It reminded of the desert or Atascadero. We didn't buy any of the bath salts but the shop was making a killing off of the multitude of tour busses arriving constantly.

Lunch at Kavi in Avanos was amazing. Isa told us about the Testi Kebap, a specialty of the house. It is beef, cooked in broth, with eggplant, onion, red pepper, celery and spices stewed together in a jar for 2 hours. Amazing.

Isa guided us to the world famous pottery master Gelip Bey at his studio, Chez Gelip. In an amazing demonstration he created a tea pot in front of us while I sipped some of his homemade wine in one of small wine glass. The tour of his studio and gallery was beyond imagination. Master crafted pottery and ceramic ware hand detailed with precision. Holly couldn't help but pick up a beautiful serving dish and got it signed by the master. Look him up online and you'll see just how amazing his work is.

From there it was directly to the fairy chimneys. These are volcanic formations made of limestone that have carved out and made into homes. The ones we went to had been used by people from about 100 AD to 1960 when the state kicked out the residents and it was turned into a world heritage site. Pashaba was one valley that was not a heritage site and thus had no admission but no residents live there. Well, not officially. While Patrick, one of my fellow travellers, and I broke off from the group and took a tiny dirt path down a lesser walked valley we found an amazing cave that had some homeless living at the top. We woke them up with our snooping around and they didn't seem too pleased.

At Zelve, the site you have to pay to get into, we saw a mosque, a church, many apartments and other cave dwellings all carved into the rocks. The site is thought to first be populated by Christians running from Roman persecution but over time became a legitimate community of Troglodytes. I could have spent hours and hours exploring. Tomorrow we're going to see more AND the underground city.

Last but not least we were taken to see a prayer/meditation service by the Whirling Dervishes. This Muslim sect of Sufi Muslims was founded by Rumi hundreds of years ago and they pray while spinning around to very soothing and relaxing music and Muslim prayers. Magical is the only word I can use to describe what we saw. Holly and I were transfixed by the beauty, serenity and humility of what we watched. Because this was not a demonstration but rather a real ceremony in a 13th Century caravanserie converted to a place of worship for Sufi's, pictures were not allowed of the men during their prayer. I am honored to have watched and once again given pause and caused to analyze my place in the world.

Speaking of place in the world... tomorrow a hot air balloon ride.

Ankara, the capitol of Türkiye Cumhuriyet

Arkadaşlarım iyi akşamlar. We left Istanbul at 8am and began the 5 hour bus ride to the capitol of the Turkish Republic, Ankara. It's a city of 5 million that about 90 years ago only had 50,000 or so. After the Turkish War for Independence a famous general by the name of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk stepped up and literally became the father of a new nation in the ashes of the fallen Ottoman Empire.

I had no idea what to expect from the drive. I sort of figured it would be desert and scrub and that's about it. I was wrong. This part of Turkey, the stretch from Istanbul to Ankara shares a lot of similarities with the eastern foothills of our Central Valley in California. Small villages dotted the landscape and were easy to find as they each had their own mosque and in the larger villages you could see that each neighborhood had its own. How? By the minaret sticking up above the rest of the village. Some were tiny and some were huge but they were all easy to find.

Our first stop was the Tomb of Atatürk. This structure was huge and very imposing. Atatürk is remembered and honored here unlike anything we see in America. We don't celebrate the life and sacrifices George Washington made in order to create our nation the way Turks celebrate Atatürk, and it shows in how he is memorialized. The edifice is so humbling that I found myself walking slowly so as not to disturb the peacefulness of this monument. The Türks who were visiting, and there were a lot, were lining up to see his possessions, his tomb and at the gift shop to capture memories of this truly great man. I suggest you wiki him.

Next was the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations. I don't think I had seen anything from the 13th Millennium B.C. before today and I was blown away. The Turks are well aware that the earliest archaeological discoveries showing the existence of man are all here in Turkey and as a people they appear to take pride in that fact. This is an ancient place. Older than Rome, older than the Greeks, more ancient than China and far older than Egypt. Below I have attached a picture of the small statue dating back to 13,000 B.C.. It is a woman sitting on a throne giving birth. The small knob between her legs is the head of a baby coming out of her womb. This was likely a fertility idol.

We ended our day here with a nighttime stroll through the town center. Just the two of us listening to locals speak, smelling the city and avoiding the calls of street vendors. Holly drew quite a lot of attention from the men and I'm not surprised... she looked beautiful.

Quick anecdote. The cabby who took us to the Anatolian Museum didn't quite know which place we were going. Holly busted out her Turkish and got us to the rest of our group safely. Harika!

Topkapi Palace... a home the size of a Village

Money, wealth and Divine Right can cause a man to some incredible things and in the case of the Ottoman Sultans they created a palace the like of which are only matched by the other great empires of the world. This isn't so much a massive home as in Versailles or Buckingham but a complex organized into sections that were create to give the Sultans the feeling that he was living a normal life... normal if you had wealth beyond imagination but were trying to live a modest life.

The outer courtyard is massive and filled with lush lawns, buildings that once housed the feared Janissary warriors and the campus for the Sultan's Harem. Sorry guys, the harem wasn't the naked orgy party that western myth makes it out to be any more than a Geisha is a prostitute. The Harem was a sacred collection of women that were raised and trained to be companions to the Sultans and this training could take decades.

The inner courtyard was not only the home of the Sultan, his family and attendants but it had a school, a mosque, several administration centers, a building for sacred relics, a museum, an art gallery and many more distractions to occupy a Sultan's day. The humble opulence, if such a thing can exist, was striking. These men knew how to strike a balance between ruler of an Empire and man of the people.

Two things really got to me. The first was the collection of items said to be those of the Prophet Muhammed. There were containers that housed his clothing, collections of small jars and even swords that are said to have belonged to him. Whether these are legitimate artifacts or not didn't matter to me. What touched me was the reverence and piety given by the muslim visitors to this collection. This was like Christians visiting the Shroud of Turin or Jews seeing the Dead Sea Scrolls. Whether the items are what they claim to be or not, millions of people visit and want to believe.

The second thing that got to me was the amazing view of the Bosporus that was reserved for the Sultan. From a terrace I went out on he would be able to survey his empire for miles while simultaneously being given a view fit for... well...a Sultan. The photo below is a small part the view. I knelt down and shot it through an opening in the ornate marble guardrail that surrounded the terrace.

Hagia Sophia and The Blue Mosque

<p>Our first full day in Istanbul was an incredible one and our guide &#304;sa had everything to do with it. </p>
<p>The Hagia Sophia was first constructed about 1500 years ago as a Christian church that overtime was conquered and converted to a mosque. Its difficult to describe how incredible it is to stand in a building that has lived through 15 centuries. Seiges, ceremonies, crusaders, sultans, emperors and countless dignitaries throughout history have interacted with this magnificent building.&nbsp; I won't wax poetic about the stunning mosaics, the stone masonry or the ancient pillars seen throughout that were transported up from greek temples far to the south... all of that you can research for yourself. I will take a moment to comment on the immensity. If you've ever been to a Cathedral than you know how difficult it is to describe the size of one when you're inside. This place was meant to humble and inspire to worshipper and while it is now a museum and not a functioning mosque, the awe it was intended to impart of the individual is not lost. You "feel" something in a place like this that I don't have the ability to capture. I both wanted to celebrate its significance and bow my head in reverence. One of my favorite pictures I took is of Holly on the other side of the upper section of Hagia Sophia sketching. I think it demonstrates everything I've tried to describe. We left Hagia Sophia and literally crossed the plaza to another site that has mystified travelers for 500 years, the Blue Mosque. This world heritage site is still a functioning mosque and as a result proper respect and dress are expected from visitors. This means shoes off, legs covered by all and women should wear a scarf. It was disappointing to see some American women not use a loaner scarf, some of whom were in my tour group, but respect for other religions and cultures is stereotypically something Americans are not known for giving freely. Holly and I had researched the decorum long beforehand and looked forward to the opportunity to pay our respects. We thought it would be bigger inside, particularly since we had just come from the worlds 4th largest Cathedral, but its deceptive interior size didn't reduce the majesty it created. It is called Blue Mosque in the West due to 20,000 plus tiles used to decorate the interior that all have a hint of blue in them. Every inch of the interior space was accented or designed making it as much of an art museum as it is an historical and cultural wonder. The power it inspired definitely caused us both to question our place in the world.